South Sudan Photo Tour

The first day of this tour will start with the arrival at Juuba International Airport. The group will meet at the airport to begin this South Sudan photo tour.

The route is raised to visit several villages of different ethnic groups of the country. we will coexist with these traditional ethnic groups and we will know aspects of their daily life. The journey is focused in travelers interested in the last tribal societies and who want to photograph that world so particular that it is only found in South Sudan. Aníbal Bueno will be the expert guide in this expedition.

Breakfast. We will take a flight to Malakal, capital of the north and base to explore the nilotic tribes. We will be received by the local guide and we will go to the hotel. exploration of the market and talk with the people of the area; Dinka, Nuer and Shilluk.

After breakfast we will make a visit to the Kingdom of Shilluk to learn about its curious social and political structure, as each of the Shilluk clans, except members of royalty, have a defined role to play in the kingdom.

This ethnic group lives in a plain that surrounds the Nile River, among tall and thick grasses. The Shilluk, in addition to raising cattle, are skillful fishermen and know how to easily exploit the fishing resources that the Nile offers them. In addition, they are engaged in subsistence agriculture, growing cereals such as sorghum, corn, etc.

We will see that, despite the war and the social, economic and cultural changes, the Shilluk nation remains strong around the Rath (King). Being one of the few kingdoms in South Sudan, together with the Azande Kingdom (southwest) and other smaller ones in the Lopit mountains.

We will do a visit to this group, the second largest in South Sudan, believed to be who share a common past with the Dinka. We will see how, living in the swampy areas of the Upper Nile, they are a sedentary community. taria that practices subsistence agriculture and cattle raising, having large herds.

On an aesthetic level, we will see that the Nuer extract the 4 incisors and the 2 lower canines as sign of maturity, in addition to making some scarifications consisting of drawing 5 or 6 lines parallel on the forehead as an initiation to adulthood.

We will pay a visit to the Dinka, the largest group in South Sudan, whose economy it is mainly based on traditional livestock, subsistence agriculture, fishing and hunting. Livestock ownership is family; and is the basis of social status. His herd is the mean
of exchange, either for marriage, the payment of debts or for sacrifices to the spirits.

The Dinka are a headless tribe. The concept of the state and, therefore, of political institutions, structure and, consequently, authority does not exist between them. Each Dinka village is an autonomous political entity in itself.

We will observe the Dinka character: they are proud and ethnocentric but, nevertheless, hospitable and friendly. Most of the time they demonstrate a high moral standard with a code of conduct and a sense of personal dignity and integrity.
The initiation to adulthood also entails the practice of extracting the 4 canines inferior, as in the case of the Nuer. In addition, some Dinka communities scarify their face to mark the passage to adulthood or status.

An important practice of this tribe, which we will be able to see during our visit, is the duel that performed with spears and sticks. They learn this practice from an early age and show great skill in the art of war.

We will return to Malakal, our base camp, where we can rest and load our camera batteries again.

Transition day where we will take a flight back to the country’s capital. After arriving in Juba, We will continue to Camp15, an old military base now converted into a market where the larim and didinga tribes come.

Breakfast and last photos of the larim tribe (beautiful body and facial scarifications + piercings nasal and labial). We will continue our journey to the Didinga villages, a 3-hour walk along mountainous terrain. The Didinga, thanks to the abundant rain that the land receives, live in-between a thick vegetation and have a flourishing agriculture with two harvests a year of: corn, sorghum, beans, wheat, tobacco, etc.

In addition to being farmers, they are also dedicated to raising livestock. Didinga society is sedentary agrarian. This has isolated them, resulting in that many of the Didinga traditions and customs remain almost intact. The youth of
Didinga are initiated to adulthood every 3 years in a ritual ceremony. Members of this ethnic group who live in remote areas still practice facial scarification and body, as well as body painting.

After spending the morning with the Didinga to take photos, we will go in the afternoon to the village of the Paari tribe. On the way we will stop at the lotuko village of Ilieu from the 14th century. Arrive to Lafon, paari capital and overnight in a nearby town.

We will wake up in the Paari town, on a plain in the north of the country. These lands, with hardly any population and with great abundance of water, have allowed the development of hunting in the Paari societies. In addition, due to the large number of ponds and rivers, this group has a diet rich in fresh and smoked fish.

This ecosystem receives every year the great migration of tiang antelopes and white-eared conchs, which allows this people to live on game meat and even trade with it. In addition, they grow millet and corn and have cattle herds. A group that has a great reputation in this region is that of the blacksmiths. These are responsible for making spearheads and arrows to hunt wild animals, as well as beautiful aluminum anklets as decoration.

They are also in charge of designing the characteristic metallic piercings that we will see in women on the lower lip. The ceramics and gazelle skin work decorated with colored beads that women use on special occasions, as well as the ostrich feather headdresses that chiefs and warriors wear during socio-political rituals are practices that are still preserved.

Paari women are lovers of beads, made with all kinds of materials, although necklaces, headdresses, bracelets and anklets made with colored glass or plastic beads predominate. Metal anklets are characteristic of older women and sub-lip piercings are still common even among young women. Body scarifications are not widespread, but are still practiced. The Paari continue to practice animist cults, in part, due to their geographic isolation.

In the towns a spiritual chief is still in charge of the ceremonies and maintains the relics of the town. This priest is in charge of animal sacrifices to Juok, the Paari deity. From the Paari region, we will head towards Torit.

Breakfast. Introduction to the livestock cultures of the Nile River: Dinka and Mundari, the differences between them and their current situation. After the explanation we will go to the Mundari territory.

Arrive at the Mundari cattle camp with several thousand head of cows and long-horned bulls. We will see the arrival of the animals to their rest areas at 6 pm in the afternoon. We will meet the young mundari and admire the close relationship they have with their cattle.

Full day with the mundari. Early morning photo session (5 am) at the cattle camp. We will live the magical awakening of the camp. Animals and humans wake up and prepare for an intense day of activities: milking, grazing, collecting manure, caring for calves and old cows, fetching firewood, crossing the Nile, covering bodies with pink ash…

We’ll be watching, quietly moving around the mundari and their sacred beasts to get the best shots. Return to camp for breakfast. During the hot hours of the day we will relax under the trees.

In the afternoon, before the cows arrive at the camp, we will visit the nearby huts and meet the “women in red”, mundari women who cover their bodies with natural red paint and beaded corsets during the process of naming the little boys. . The wrestling match and the youngsters armed with Kalashnikovs around the smoky and dusty cattle camp make the local atmosphere simply magical.

Breakfast. Farewell to the Mundari tribe and return to Juba. Final day to complete with pending visits, depending on the flight departure time. At the agreed time, transfer to the airport where will finish our South Sudan Photo Tour.